A Twisted Fate
by Dying Swan
Summary: Caught in a loveless engagement, Will and Elizabeth must decide how to pursue happiness without hurting each other. With the help of two unlikely friends, they learn to fall in love again...but not with each other. Elizabeth/Jack and Will/OC
1. The Island

A/N: This story was first started in 2003. Since then, I have grown as a person and as a writer, so I wanted to adapt some of the earlier chapters that I published when I was younger to my current writing style. No plot changes are being made…I'm just correcting some grammar and other issues. Also, please keep in mind that I started this story after the first movie came out, so the events from the other movies will not be included. And finally, I understand that the storyline will seem a bit choppy until all the chapters have been revamped to my liking, so please bear with me! But most importantly…enjoy. :)

Disclaimer: I don't own PotC, but I do own Valerie Springfield, who will be appearing in the later chapters.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Chapter 1 – Version 2.0

"I still can't comprehend how I was lucky enough to end up engaged to you," Will said, gently squeezing Elizabeth's hand as the couple strolled happily through the garden.

"I could say the same about myself," Elizabeth replied, smiling at her fiancé.

They continued to walk through the maze of scarlet rose bushes that surrounded them. Finally they stumbled upon the small white gazebo that sat in the heart of the garden. Will stepped up and offered his hand to Elizabeth. She took it gingerly and pulled herself inside, seating herself onto the chestnut bench that stood within. Will sat down next to her and brushed a lock of golden hair from her face. Elizabeth gave him a weak smile, but said nothing. She scanned her mind for a comment or a conversational topic, but found none available. They sat in an uncomfortable silence for a few moments. Neither one found words to cut through the still air around them. Will glanced at Elizabeth and studied her face for a minute. She was looking off into the distance, lost in some faraway thought. He shifted his gaze to the setting sun and wondered what his future wife could be thinking about.

Elizabeth was indeed immersed in her thoughts. She was asking herself why it was so difficult to have a conversation with Will. The challenge had never presented itself before. 'But we never really spent much time alone together before now,' she recalled. 'It was never this way when I was around Jack.' She sighed at the last thought and allowed her memories to transport her to a happier time.

*Flashback*

"Mister Sparrow! I'm not entirely sure that I've had enough rum to allow that kind of talk!" Elizabeth exclaimed and pushed Jack away.

Jack gave her a toothy grin before polishing off the remnants of his rum. Elizabeth looked at the bottle in her hand and wondered whether she should dispose of the wretched substance. Part of her knew that she should pour it into the sea and succumb to sleep, but her more adventurous side urged her to take a risk and to continue drinking. She smirked and pressed the bottle to her lips, cringing slightly as the alcohol burned her throat. Suddenly, she felt the sand shift beneath her dress. She glanced up and noticed that Jack was struggling to stand up.

"S'the matter?' she slurred, surprised to discover that her tongue was not cooperating.

"Out of rum," Jack murmured and disappeared into the shrubbery.

Elizabeth straightened up and allowed her eyes to settle on the sea. 'Am I ever going to see Will again?' she wondered. 'What if he's given up his search for me?' She began to imagine living out the rest of her days, few as they may be, stranded on the island with Jack. She bit her lip, feeling a pang of guilt. The idea of a life on the sandy beaches with Jack by her side sounded like paradise to her at that particular moment. She blamed the rum flowing through her veins and pushed those thoughts aside, focusing instead on the handsome pirate that was making his way back towards her.

Jack was cradling three bottles of his favorite elixir under his arm as he swaggered towards the shore. He tossed a bottle into the sand beside Elizabeth and kept the other two for himself. He sat down next to her and pulled the cork from the bottle with his teeth. After taking a long drink, he smacked his lips and began to survey the serious expression on Elizabeth's face.

"You miss him, don't you?" he asked.

"Hm?" Elizabeth hadn't been listening. She was becoming all too aware of how close Jack was sitting. The forbidden fantasies began to creep back into her mind.

"Will. Do you miss him?"

"Oh," Elizabeth said. "Yes, I suppose I do."

"You suppose?" Jack chuckled. "That doesn't sound like a very passionate response, love."

Elizabeth bit her lip again. Her thoughts were becoming fuzzier by the minute as the alcohol continued to overcome her senses.

"He's very much in love with you, you know," Jack said quietly.

"I know," she sighed. She had no doubts about the strength of Will's love for her, but her affection towards him seemed to be waning at the moment.

"Is there something burdening you, poppet?" Jack asked. He was growing concerned. Elizabeth's sudden withdrawal from him was making him worry that he had offended her. She had been laughing and dancing with him just minutes before.

Elizabeth looked up. Jack's eyes shone with a sincerity she had never seen before. She attempted a small smile.

"Nothing," she finally responded.

"Darling, you can trust me," Jack assured her.

Elizabeth laughed. "That's something I've learned _not_ to do."

He grinned. "A valuable lesson. Still, what are the chances we'll leave this island? Besides," he added in amusement. "I think you're drunk. Let's hear it."

She laughed again. Jack's eyes were sparkling with childish mischief and she found herself slowly giving into his charm.

"The rum seems to be toying with my heart," Elizabeth said.

"The heart is a fickle beast," Jack replied.

"It would appear so," she sighed. Jack cocked his head and squinted at her. "What?' she asked.

"You're being unusually vague, my dear," he said. "If you draw this confession out any longer, you may find me dozing off."

"Mister Sparrow!" He chuckled as she shoved him playfully.

"That's Captain Sparrow, love."

"You're a right git, _Captain_."

"You're insulting my honor," he grinned.

"You have no honor!" she teased.

"In that case, I can get away with doing this," he purred. Elizabeth let out a shriek as he pounced on her and pinned her arms into the sand. However, she was not one to admit defeat easily. She gave Jack the most sensual look she could muster, gazing intensely at him through her thick lashe while pushing her lower lip forward in a pouty manner. She felt his grip soften slightly as her look took effect. She used the moment to her advantage and threw herself against him. They began to tumble in the sand as they struggled for dominance. However, Elizabeth's momentary burst of strength passed quickly and Jack finally pinned her down again. They stared into each other's eyes for a moment, then broke out into uncontrollable fits of laughter.

"You have absolutely no couth, do you?" Elizabeth asked.

"None whatsoever love," he grinned devilishly.

Elizabeth chose her next words carefully, ready to take advantage of her newfound courage. "Heaven knows how you're so irresistible despite all your flaws."

Jack froze, unsure how to interpret what he had just heard. Elizabeth couldn't help but smile at the confusion that was clouding his face.

"Er, irresistible?"

"You heard me," she said huskily.

Jack looked down at her. The campfire illuminated her features so that she glowed beautifully. Her hair lay crushed in the sand, gently cradling her face. Her eyes shone with desire and her lips were parted slightly, allowing her uneven breaths escape. His gaze lingered on those ruby lips. They seemed to be begging to be introduced to his own. He removed his grip from one of her wrists and caressed her cheek.

Elizabeth could see the lust in Jack's eyes, but she also saw hesitation. She realized she would have to convey her approval.

"Kiss me," she whispered softly.

Jack did not need further encouragement. He eliminated the space between them and pressed his lips gently against hers. They froze upon the initial contact, but soon found that they were hungrier for more. Their lips parted and their tongues began to dance. As their desire for one another engulfed them, they forgot everything and lost themselves in the moment.

*End Flashback*

Elizabeth snapped back to reality.

"Are you all right?" Will asked.

"Yes, darling, I'm fine. I'm just really tired." She pretended to yawn. "Do you mind if we turn in for the night?"

"Of course," Will said. He tried to reassure himself that the reason for the awkwardly silent night was their mutual exhaustion. He offered his arm to Elizabeth and she quietly accepted. They began their taciturn journey back to the mansion.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Author's Note: I hope this creates a better building block for continuing my story! I am choosing not to change the conversations I have at the end of my chapters with my characters for nostalgic purposes. Please check back soon for updates!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Vickay: Here's the first chapter. I hope you like it!

Will: Yeaaaah. I love not doing anything.

Vickay: Oh, will you shut up? You know I love you and I won't leave you out for long!

Will: Okay. *pause* You love me?

Vickay: *blushes*

Jack: Anyways, how about that flashback, Lizzy?

Elizabeth: Did you just call me Lizzy?

Jack: Is that a problem?

Elizabeth: No, I rather like it. And about the flashback, do you think we could try recreating that sometime? You know, for the readers…

Will: What? You're engaged to me!

Elizabeth: Didn't you read the summary?

Will: There's a summary?

Jack, Elizabeth, and Vickay: *roll eyes*

Will: What?

Vickay: Anyways, I hope to update soon! Oh, and this chapter is dedicated to my good friend Nick S. for believing in my imagination and supporting my nerdy habits, Thank you!


	2. Plans Are Set

Will was lying in bed and staring at the ceiling. He was going over the events of that evening in his head. 'What could Elizabeth had been thinking about?' he wondered. 'Perhaps she was thinking about Norrington.' Will pondered on this thought for a moment. He had wondered this before: did Elizabeth love Norrington? At first, this thought had struck Will as ridiculous, but now, he was starting to believe it. Ever since Elizabeth and Norrington had broken off their engagement, Elizabeth had become more reserved and thoughtful, almost depressive. He wished he could talk to Jack. Surely he could give Will some advice, having so much experience with women. 'Maybe not,' Will thought, smiling as he remembered all the slaps he had recieved. 'But she told me she loves me,' he thought. 'She wouldn't lie to me.' With that reassuring thought in his head, Will rolled over and fell asleep.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Jack looked out the window of his cabin. The stars above were twinkling merrily, almost as if they were laughing. 'Laughing at me,' Jack thought bitterly. He turned back to the gold he had been counting. 'I should be happy,' he thought. 'I have all the gold and riches that I could possibly want.' He sighed. 'But I don't have the thing I want most in the world...Elizabeth.' He sighed again and turned in his chair.  
  
"George!" he called to his first mate. Footsteps were heard overhead, and a few seconds later, a face appeared in the doorway.  
  
"Yeh called, Cap'n?" George asked.  
  
"Yeah, bring me a bottle of rum," Jack murmured.  
  
"Right away, Cap'n," George said with a smile, but as soon as he turned around, his smile turned into a scowl. "Who does he think he is?" George muttered. "I'm the captain, so bow down to me!" he said in a mocking voice. "George, do this, George do that. When do I get to be captain?" A wicked grin spread over his face. "Oh, I think I can answer that one." With an evil laugh, George disappeared into the cellar. A few minutes later, he appeared with a bottle in his left hand.  
  
"Here yeh are, Cap'n," George said with another fake smile.  
  
"Thanks," Jack said, taking the bottle and taking a long drink. George turned and left with another scowl on his face. Jack looked back out at the stars.  
  
"That's what you are to me, Elizabeth: a star, beautiful and out of reach," he said to no one. He sighed and took another swig of rum.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Will awoke the next morning to find sunlight streaming through his window. He yawned and rubbed his eyes. It was going to be a beautiful day. He didn't feel like facing Elizabeth yet, so he decided to go to town, just to walk around and take his mind off of things. He quickly washed up and got dressed and headed downstairs. He was almost at the door when someone called out to him.  
  
"Will!" a voice called out. "Oh Will! I'm glad I caught you before you left!"  
  
Will turned around. "Oh, hello Governor Swann."  
  
"Good morning," the governor said. "Listen, Will, I want to talk to you about something important."  
  
"What is it?" Will asked, frowning slightly.  
  
"It's about the wedding."  
  
"Wedding?" Will asked, confused. It took him a moment to understand what wedding he was talking about: his and Elizabeth's. "Oh, right. What about it?"  
  
"Well, I was wondering if you put any thought into the date of the ceremony."  
  
Will paused. The thruth was he hadn't thought about it since that day when they agreed on it. "The date? I, uh..."  
  
"It's alright," Governor Swann cut him off. "You have a lot of things on your mind, I'm sure."  
  
Will forced out a feeble smile. "Yeah." There was a moment's pause, then Will said, "Sir, did you have an idea for the date?"  
  
The governor's face lit up. "As a matter of fact, I did. I was hoping that you could be wed as soon as possible."  
  
Will froze. He knew that it would have to happen, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. 'What am I thinking?' Will asked himself. 'I love her, so of course, as soon as possible.'  
  
"Of course," Will finally said. "That sounds good."  
  
"Great! How about a week from tomorrow?"  
  
'A week?' Will thought. 'That sounds alright, but...' He paused as he remembered the guest that he wanted to be there most. Jack would need time to get the invitation and time to come. "How about two weeks? That gives us a lot of time for invitations."  
  
"Good idea!" the governor said. "Two weeks it is! I'll go inform Elizabeth!" And with that, he disappeared into the room behind him. Will decided he should write to Jack ASAP telling him of the plans of the ceremony. He turned and headed back upstairs.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Elizabeth was sitting next to her window, staring out at the sea. She had the same memory from last night playing in her head. She was about to get to the part where Jack came back with the rum when she heard a knock at her door.  
  
"It's me!" came Governor Swann's voice from behind the door.  
  
"Come in," Elizabeth replied.  
  
"Elizabeth, I just came to talk to you about your wedding."  
  
"My wedding?"  
  
"Yes. Will and I agreed to the date. It's to be held two weeks from tomorrow."  
  
"Two weeks?" Elizabeth repeated. 'So soon!' she thought to herself. "That's great, Father. Is there anything else?"  
  
"No, darling. Goodbye."  
  
"Goodbye," Elizabeth said as her father closed the door. For some reason, this news had gotten her down even more. She turned back to the sea, wondering where Jack was.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Will reached his room and found some paper and a quill. He sat down and began to write.  
  
"Jack,  
  
How have been things going now that you're back as captain? Everything is fine here. We set a date for the wedding today. It's to be held two weeks from today on Thursday, the 16 of August. It would mean so much to me if you could make it.  
  
Best regards,  
  
Will"  
  
Will folded the letter and sealed it. Then he set of downstairs to send it on it's way. He found the family messanger and gave him directions.  
  
"Send the fastest ship to find Captain Jack Sparrow," he had told him. After the message was sent, he adjusted his bootstraps and walked out to the stable. After saddling a horse, he was on his way to town.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Vickay: Well, here's chapter 2. It's super boring...  
  
Will: Tell me about it! I don't get to do anything but walk around the house!  
  
Vickay: Oh, shut up, Will, before I make you do something unexpected. *evil grin*  
  
Will: *gulp*  
  
Elizabeth: Oh lay off the boy already, will you?  
  
Jack: How sweet. I thought this was supposed to be a J/E fic!  
  
Vickay: Hold your horses!  
  
Jack: Well, at least I was mentioned in this chapter. And I wasn't just part of a lousy flashback.  
  
Elizabeth: Hey! I happened to like that flashback, thank you. *realizes what she said and blushes*  
  
Jack: *smiles* Me too, love.  
  
Vickay: That's enough! Poor Will, you'll meet someone in the next chapter. It should be up within the next few days. Please review! 


	3. A New Face

Will rode up to his old shed where he used to make swords. He had stopped after he had gotten together with Elizabeth because he had dedicated his time to her. He tied up his horse to the shed and went inside. The place hadn't changed. No one made anything anymore. Will's former boss, Mr. Brown, had died of alcohol poisoning. He had gotten drunk once, passed out, and never woke up. Will walked around and saw the last sword he had ever worked on. He gently picked it up and ran his finger along the blade. He hadn't gotten around to sharpening it, so the blade was very dull. 'Maybe I should get back to blacksmithing,' he thought. It had always made him happy. 'But now I have Elizabeth. I should be even happier.' He frowned. Something was missing. Something in his relationship with Elizabeth. He just couldn't figure out what. He put the sword down and turned to go back outside. The place had too many memories. He opened the door quickly. Too quickly.  
  
"Oomph!" The door connected with something. Or someone. Will looked around and noticed a figure crouching on the ground.  
  
"I'm so sorry!" Will exclaimed. "Are you alright?" He leaned over to help the person up.  
  
"Yeah, thanks to you," the figure said. Judging by the voice and dress, Will could tell it was a female.  
  
"I'm really, really sorry," Will repeated, feeling worse that it had been a lady he had knocked down by his carelessness. As she stood up, she kept her hands over her face. Will studied her. She was a fair amount shorter than him and she had reddish brown hair that flowed down a little past shoulder length. She was wearing a pale blue dress that reached down to the ground. Will decided to do something other than just stand there. He took her hands into his and brought them away from her face.  
  
"Are you alright?" he asked again, looking into her eyes. The girl looked at him for a moment, then a smile emerged on her face.  
  
"Yes, I think I am," she finally said. Will looked into her eyes. 'Wow, she has beautiful eyes,' he thought. She had green eyes with a hint of blue in them, and they sparkled when she talked. 'She's gorgeous,' Will thought, but stopped himself. 'Think of Elizabeth, Will, think of Elizabeth.' But Will couldn't. All he could think about was the girl standing in front of him.  
  
"My name is Valerie," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "Valerie Springfield."  
  
"Hello, I'm Will Turner." They smiled at each other, then both realized that Will was still holding Valerie's hands. Both of them pulled back, blushing.  
  
"I'm new in town," Valerie said. "I've just come over from England."  
  
"I've lived here for the past eight years," Will said, then hesitated. 'Maybe I shouldn't tell her about the pirate background I have. I'd like to make a new friend," he thought. "If you'd like, I can show you around," he said. 'What am I doing?' he thought. 'I'm flirting with her!' He paused. He was just being a gentleman by showing her around a new city, not flirting.  
  
"I'd like that," she replied with a smile. Will noticed a bag behind her.  
  
"I'll get it," he said, stopping Valerie from picking it up.  
  
"It's alright, I'm not weak," she replied.  
  
"I insist," Will said, smiling at her defensiveness. "And I never said that I thought you were weak." He took the black bag from her and swung it over his shoulder. "So what brings you to Port Royale?" Will asked.  
  
"I'm here for a friend's wedding," Valerie replied. Will froze. 'Wedding?' he thought. 'Surely it cannot be Elizabeth's wedding.' He shook that thought from his mind.  
  
"Here, let's leave your things here and then come back for it later," Will said, motioning to the blacksmith shed.  
  
"Will it be safe?" Valerie asked.  
  
"Of course, no one comes here anymore. I guess you could say I own it now."  
  
"Are you a blacksmith?" she asked.  
  
"No, I used to be, but now I'm considering taking it up again as a hobby," Will said. They walked into the shed and Will placed Valerie's bag onto a well-hidden shelf. "There," he said, turning to her.  
  
"Thank you Will," Valerie said. Will was very surprised that his heart leapt when she said his name. Will smiled as to say you're welcome.  
  
"What would you like to see first?" he asked her.  
  
"Well, if you don't mind, I'd love to find a place that's deserted," she said casually.  
  
"What do you mean?" Will asked, confused.  
  
"I like to have a place where I can run off to at times, just to be alone. Maybe a clearing in the forest or a meadow by the sea," Valerie said dreamily.  
  
"I know just the place," Will said, smiling. "Follow me." He took her hand into his and led her away, out of the city and through the forest.  
  
~*~*~  
  
"This is it," Will said. "I often go here to get away from everything." Valerie looked around. It was a clearing, surrounded by trees by the bank of a river.  
  
"It's perfect," she sighed. She walked up to the bank of the river and ran her fingers across the surface of the water. Satisfied with its temperature, she kicked off her shoes and waded in, not bothering to pick the skirt of her dress up. Will looked at her with a shocked expression on his face. Valerie laughed. "Are you coming?" she asked.  
  
"In there?" Will asked.  
  
"Yes, I want to go swimming," she replied giving Will a mischievous grin.  
  
Will looked at her for a moment, trying to think of something to say. All he came up with was, "You're going swimming in your dress?"  
  
"Well, I can't take it off, now can I? I've only known you for a short while." With a playful wink, she dove in. Will stared after her for a moment longer, then decided to follow suit.  
  
"You're insane, do you know that?" he said, laughing.  
  
"Yes, and you're gorgeous..." Valerie gasped and covered her mouth with her hands. Will turned and looked at her.  
  
"What was that?" But before his answer was a big splash as Valerie went underwater again. His heart was racing. 'So what if she thinks I'm attractive? That doesn't mean anything,' he thought. He looked around. Valerie hadn't come up for a rather long time, and Will was starting to worry. "Miss Springfield?" he called out, but she was nowhere to be seen. "Valerie?" he called out more urgently. 'Where is she?' he wondered. He looked around nervously again when he was pushed underwater from behind. When he emerged, he turned to face a laughing Valerie.  
  
"That...was not...funny," Will gasped.  
  
"Yes it was!" Valerie laughed. She saw the expression on Will's face and stopped.  
  
"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to give you a fright." (A/N: haha sorry guys! I just had to add in the little Parent Trap reference)  
  
"Yeah? Well fright this!" Will exclaimed as he dunked Valerie in return. She came up out of the water and turned to look at Will.  
  
"Mr. Turner, I'm not sure that was entirely appropriate behavior towards a woman," Valerie said in all seriousness. "I don't think I can be around someone like you any longer. Good day." With that, she turned and began to wade out of the water.  
  
"Wait! Miss Springfield!" Will called out urgently. "I'm sorry! Please...please don't leave." Valerie stopped. Looking over her shoulder, she gave Will a cold look. He looked back at her, scared that she would leave. "Please..." Valerie looked at Will for a moment longer, then left the water. Will followed her. "I'm so sorry," he repeated, catching up to her and grabbing her arm gently. She looked back at him.  
  
"I might forgive you...but what will you do for me?" she asked. After a brief moment, she broke into a smile. Will breathed a sigh of relief.  
  
"Well, what would you like me to do, Miss Springfield?" he asked.  
  
"Well, for starters, call me Valerie," she said, grinning.  
  
"Alright, Valerie," Will said. "Valerie...you have such a beautiful name."  
  
"Thank you, William," Valerie replied and smiled at Will. Then she looked at her arm. Will was still gently holding on to it. Will noticed and pulled his hand abruptly back.  
  
"I apologize," he said, turning a light shade of pink. Valerie gave him a sweet smile that made Will's heart leap and his stomach flip. 'How can she have this effect on me? My heart belongs to Elizabeth, yet she doesn't make me nervous or make it seem as if time has stopped with just one look,' he thought. He returned the smile, and his heart began beating faster. Valerie took a small step toward him so that their faces were mere inches apart. They looked into each other's eyes for a moment, then Valerie took Will's hand into her's and led him over to a soft spot of grass, where she sat down. Will felt his heart race at her touch. He sat down beside her. They chatted for a little bit about their backgrounds. Will found out that Valerie was an awesome person. She was fun, outgoing, and playful and she was growing on him more and more every second.  
  
"Valerie, you are so beautiful," Will said suddenly, looking Valerie in her eyes. She blushed.  
  
"Thank you, Will. You are too sweet." She smiled at him, not breaking eye contact. "You are unlike any gentleman I've ever met."  
  
Will looked down, embarrassed. "I'm sorry I'm not that sophisticated," he said. "I used to be a blacksmith and a pir...a blacksmith up until a little while ago until I met...someone." Will hesitated in telling Valerie about his pirate voyages and Elizabeth. He didn't know why, but he felt better keeping that a secret for now.  
  
"And a what? A pirate?" Valerie said, cocking her head slightly and giving him a playful smile. For a moment, she reminded Will of Captain Jack Sparrow.  
  
"A pirate? No, no never."  
  
"Oh," Valerie looked away. Will could have sworn that for a moment, he saw a flash of disappointment in her eyes.  
  
Will looked up toward the sky. "We'd better get going soon," he said. "It's getting dark."  
  
"Yes, I suppose we'd better..." Valerie trailed off. There was a hint of remorse in her voice. Will sighed and shifted his weight on the soft grass. Valerie hesitantly glances at Will, suddenly becoming uncomfortable. "Will?" she asked.  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Do you suppose we could...see each other again? That is, only if you wouldn't mind..."  
  
Will smiled. "I was just thinking the same, Miss Spri...Valerie." She smiled back. Will gazed into her eyes for a moment, thinking how brightly they shone with every move she made. He got an odd feeling inside. A feeling he got once before when he and Jack had just defeated Barbosa, and Will was standing with Elizabeth, their faces two inches apart. "If you were looking for the opportune moment, that was it," he recalled Jack telling him. He didn't want to miss the opportune moment again. He knew it was wrong...what would Elizabeth say if she found out? But it felt so right...he just had to. Will leaned closer to Valerie as she closed her eyes and leaned in to meet him. Their lips connected, and the sparks flew. As their kisses deepened, Will knew. He now knew what he was missing in his relationship with Elizabeth.  
  
~*~*~  
  
Vickay: Ok guys, I'm so sorry for not updating in forever! I've just been really busy with school and dance. But now, I hope to write more than every 3 months, heh.  
  
Will: *smiles sheepishly*  
  
Vickay: What are you smiling at?  
  
Will: I got my first real chapter!  
  
Vickay: *laughs* You're so cute!  
  
Elizabeth: Oh, cut it out you two!  
  
Jack: *grumbles*  
  
Elizabeth: What's wrong?  
  
Jack: Didn't even bloody appear in this chapter.  
  
Vickay: I'm sorry you two! I promise we're going to be seeing a lot more of you guys soon! Ok, well that's it for now. Please review! Love you all!  
  
Will: *whispering* Love you too.  
  
Vickay: What was that, sweetie?  
  
Will: Huh? Oh nothing.  
  
Vickay: *shrugs* Whatever...till next time folks! *Muah*! 


	4. Night Terrors

A/N: Wow, so I can't believe that I'm still writing this. I reread it and bleh, I don't know where I come up with this crap. But I have the urge to continue, so therefore 3 years later, I am. I know all this seems out of place with the new movie out, but bear with me and try to imagine all this happening right after the 1st movie. Thanks!

Elizabeth was sitting on the sand by the shore of the sea, her hands gently cradling her favorite novel. The words "Treasure Island" peeked through her fingers. Hours passed, but she was too absorbed with Jim's adventures to notice. She finally drew her attention away from the worn pages when a wave brushed her toes.

'I'd better start heading back home,' she thought to herself. She folded the page of her book over, closed it, and stood up. After brushing off excess grains of sand from her dress and sliding back into her slippers, she turned and started to make her way back toward the house. She had only taken two steps when something caught her eye. She turned back and looked out to the sea. She saw a small dot on the horizon, recognizing it to be a ship. She squinted for a better view. From the distance, she could tell that the ship had tattered, charcoal sails. Her wishful thinking sparked an idea. 'Oh God, that might be the Pearl...and Jack.'

Elizabeth dropped her book and ran toward the coastline, not caring that the heavy cover of the book crushed the pages into the sand. She paused near the edge of the water and watched the ship move closer. She stood still, barely breathing. As she watched the vessel, she was convinced that it was definitely the Black Pearl. She couldn't see Jack among any of the figures on deck, though. Not giving up hope, Elizabeth remained on the beach with her eyes glued to the ship. She saw a rowboat being lowered down into the water and her hopes rose. She wrung her hands nervously, watching every moving figure in the lifeboat like a hawk. She was only able to see man with a red bandana and a loose white shirt standing near the front. 'Jack! It has to be Jack!' she thought excitedly.

The boat drifted closer and closer, until Elizabeth could make out every single detail on Jack's face. She could not contain her girlish smile when Jack's eyes met hers. Jack smiled back, his eyes twinkling. Finally, he couldn't handle being apart from his beloved Elizabeth any longer. He dove off of the boat and swam to shore. Forgetting her dignity, Elizabeth broke out into a run and waded into the shallow waters. When they met, Jack lifted her up and spun her around. He must have had a little too much rum, because as they were spinning, he swayed and the two of them fell into the tepid waters. Laughing, Jack helped Elizabeth up and the two embraced. Suddenly, Jack pulled away.

"Wait...what about Will? Aren't you two engaged?" he asked with a frown.

Elizabeth smirked. "We don't need him," she said. Jack smiled and leaned in to kiss Elizabeth, but before their lips met, there came a shot. Caught off guard, the two jumped in surprise. Elizabeth's eyes were wide with shock and fear; Jack's, with alarm. The couple stood in the still waters for a moment, listening intently. Not a sound was audible except for the rustling of palm leaves and the gentle crash of waves on the rocks. The silence was deadly. Elizabeth pressed herself against Jack's chest. She could hear his steady, pounding heartbeat. She felt her own heart fluttering like a hummingbird as she took several breaths to calm herself. Suddenly, the silence was broken by another shot. Elizabeth pulled herself closer to Jack, her heart racing even more. Jack and Elizabeth looked out to see, but nothing was visible except for the Pearl. Suddenly, a third shot was heard. Pain flooded Elizabeth's right arm and she cried out. Jack saw Elizabeth's sleeve turn red as the fabric absorbed the blood.

"No!" Jack shouted. He caught Elizabeth just before she fell.

Elizabeth squeezed her eyes shut as the pain spread and became more intense. "I'll be fine," she managed to mutter. Darkness briefly swept over her, but she quickly recovered.

Jack swept her into his arms and turned toward the shore. He knew he had to get her out of harm's way as soon as possible. He cursed and wished he hadn't consumed as much rum as he had that day. The alcohol, combined with the waves and his heavy boots, kept him from traveling at the pace he wanted. They had almost made it onto the dry sand when a final gunshot was heard. Warm pain flooded Jack's body and he could no longer hold Elizabeth. He plummeted into the water.

Elizabeth realized that the sea had consumed her before she understood what had happened. She fought her way back up to the sweet oxygen and coughed up the water that clogged her lungs. After a few breaths, she looked around. For a second, she wondered stupidly why on earth the ocean was pink. Dread filled her as she realized that it was blood that clouded the crystal water and that it wasn't hers. She tried to scream, but her voice seemed to have died. Tears fell from her eyes as she silently stared at Jack's floating body in front of her, his once snowy shirt now crimson.

Elizabeth sat up, covered in the cold ocean. It took her a minute to realize she was safe in her bed, drenched in her own frightened sweat. 'It had seemed so real,' she thought. After rubbing her arm and finding it to be unharmed, she sighed in relief and tried to get back to her slumber. After tossing and turning for what seemed like eternity, she opened her eyes and came to terms with the fact that she wouldn't sleep again that night. She got out of bed, slipped on a robe, and wandered over to the window, pulling the curtains open. Glancing at the velvet sky, she sighed and thanked God that the nightmare she had just had was only a dream. She spent the rest of the night filling her mind with thoughts about Jack and not once thinking about her fiancée. It didn't occur to her that she should feel guilty.

"No!" Jack cried out, snapping out of his nightmare. He hated when Elizabeth got hurt in his dreams. It felt worse than he ever imagined. His eyes closed heavily and he has almost entered the world of slumber again when he heard the whispers. Furrowing his eyebrows, Jack snuck quietly out of bed and made his way toward the locked door of his cabin.

"So you're sure he's asleep?" a nervous voice said.

"Of course, you nitwit," a rough voice replied. There was a pause. "Sweet Davy Jones, pull yourself together!"

A quiver followed the command, then a thud and a whimper. "Now, I'm going to break the door down and you shoot him. Got it?" Silence, then another thud. "I asked you a question!"

Jack groaned as he realized that the rough voice belonged to his first mate George. 'Not a bloody mutiny...leave it up to that miserable piece of scum to try and overthrow me. I don't have time for this!' Jack knew he couldn't defeat a whole ship alone. He stealthily backed away from the door, grabbed his gun and sword, threw on his hat and tiptoed over to the window. For the first time, he rejoiced in having one of the few cabins that had a functioning window. Before George and his mutineers could attack, he squeezed through and dove into the sea. He knew he had thousands of strokes and hours ahead of him, so the Captain began his lengthy journey toward what he prayed to be land. Port Royale, if he was truly lucky. The moon lit his path as he swam, stroke after stroke after stroke...

A/N: I apologize for it being so short, but my imagination gears are a little rusty from my long break. More to come soon, I promise. I feel obligated to finish this. Thanks for the reviews. :)


	5. Utter Chaos

A/N: I'm still writing? Hell must have frozen over! ) It's been a few years and I've just rediscovered my old, haunting page of fics. I feel like I have to redeem myself since I know I've definitely changed since I wrote last, so I decided to give continuing this fic another shot. Hopefully I'll give the first 4 chapters a complete makeover soon as well. I should have plenty of down time at work to write, hehe. Hopefully all my ideas haven't turned to dust in the wind! And I realize that the PotC trilogy is complete and many events have transpired, but let's ignore them for the sake of this story and pretend we've only seen the 1st movie, shall we? For those of you still reading, here we go!

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Jack's arms were on fire. He was convinced that this was the end for him. He couldn't swim another mile more. 'Ah well,' he thought. 'If Davy Jones wants to take me under, then I can't argue.' He just wished that he could have seen Elizabeth one last time. She was probably already married by now. Jack wished he could yell at Will for not inviting him to the wedding. He sighed and wished for rum.

He wished he could stop wishing for everything.

He did not, however, wish for a ship to appear out of the shadows of the night. And he did not wish to be hauled aboard. Maybe not wishing was the way to go, since only then did things go his way.

Ironically enough, the ship that had stumbled upon his floating body had been sent by Will Turner to seek out Jack. He decided he would thank Will next time he saw him and leaving the yelling for later.

Once he had dried off and swallowed some food, he was taken to a bed chamber that consisted of a mere hammock sling, but he collapsed into it and was in a deep sleep before anyone could ask him if there was anything else he needed.

Jack slept for 20 straight hours. When he awoke, he felt like he was emerging from a mini-coma. Jack stretched and groaned, his cat-like actions casting dancing shadows on the deck. He decided to investigate why Will had sent a ship in search of him. One of the deck hands presented him with Will's note. Jack read it and his heart sank.

She wasn't married yet. He hadn't miss seeing her all dolled up in her beautiful dress, and he was happy about that. But he was disappointed in the fact that there was a set date for the wedding. She was going to go through with it after all, and in a few days, she would be gone from him forever. Jack sighed. He realized that just wasn't meant to be with one woman for the rest of his life. However, he also knew that he was tired of the Tortuga scene. Jack closed his eyes and hoped that everything would fall into place eventually. Taking a deep breath of the salty sea air, he fixed his gaze on the horizon, waiting for Port Royale to appear at any moment.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Valerie didn't want to let go of this beautiful stranger that she had met, but she realized that the daylight was fading fast. She needed to get to her friend's place and she had no idea where to go. She pulled away from Will, who had been holding her and gazing at the sea.

"I'm sorry, but I really should be going," she said. "Do you think you could help me find the place I'll be staying?"

Will smiled warmly. "I know this town like the back of my hand. I'll get you to where you need to go."

She giggled. "Maybe you can stay for dinner. I'm sure my friend won't mind!"

"I'd like that," Will said. "Now where is it that your friend lives?"

"I'm actually not sure of the address, but it shouldn't be too hard to find. She's the Governor's daughter."

Everything inside of Will went cold. His stomach turned itself inside out and his heart stopped beating.

"Are you alright?" Valerie looked concerned. Will had turned completely white. "What's wrong?" She grabbed his arm.

"You're here for Elizabeth's wedding?" he finally managed to choke out.

"Elizabeth Swann, yes!" she exclaimed excitedly. "Do you know her?"

Will was silent for a moment. "You could say that. I'm her fiancé."

It was Valerie's turn to freeze. She slowly released Will's arm. Her jaw dropped and her eyes were as wide as the ocean. "Oh my God," she whispered. She stared at Will, horrified.

Neither of them knew what to say for a few minutes. Finally, Valerie asked, "Will, what are we going to do?"

He looked at the redhead, conflicted with so many flooding emotions. She was beautiful and charming. She was also here for his wedding. Will shook his head. "Nothing we can do. I'll take you to Elizabeth's. We'll explain that we met on the street and you had asked me for directions." He paused. "No one can know about this."

"You kissed me when you knew that you were engaged?" Valerie finally blurted out. Anger began to seep in and cloud her thoughts. She glared at him, demanding an answer.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have." Will looked down at his boots. "I couldn't help it, though."

Valerie was enraged. "Take me to the manor, please. We won't mention any of this to anyone. For Elizabeth's sake. Although if she knew how you chased women behind her back, I doubt you'd be marrying her."

It was Will's turn to get angry. "I do no such thing!" he shouted. "You were a one time mistake!"

Valerie raised an eyebrow. "So I'm a mistake." She gave him a cold look and repeated, "Take me to the manor."

Will instantly felt guilty. He knew he had hurt her feelings, but he was too angry to apologize. He hadn't meant to call her a mistake for he had truly enjoyed her company. 'Women are so complicated,' he thought. 'I can't wait until Jack arrives. He always distracts me from my problems.' He paused. 'He usually does complicate situations, though.' He smiled internally and sighed. How did he get himself into this mess?

They walked in complete silence back to the blacksmith shop. Once they had picked up Valerie's bag, they continued their death march to the manor. It was sunset by the time they arrived. Neither one broke the silence. Will lead Valerie inside and was greeted by the Governor.

"My dear Valerie!" he exclaimed, sweeping her into a fatherly hug. "How have you been all these years? I haven't seen you since you were knee high!" He released her from his death grip.

Valerie smiled. "Hello, Governor Swann. It's good to see you again."

He patted her on the back, then turned his attention to Will. "Will, my boy, how did you find this treasure?"

Will thought it was a fitting description for Valerie, then remembered that he was angry with her. "She approached me in town asking for directions to the manor," Will lied. Valerie said nothing.

"What luck and coincidence!" Governor Swann exclaimed. "Come, Elizabeth is around here somewhere. Elizabeth!"

They found Elizabeth on the balcony, gazing out at the sea. When she spotted Valerie, she beamed and ran over to the girl.

"Val! It's so amazing to see you again! I'm so happy you could come!" Elizabeth hugged her friend.

Valerie squeezed the girl tight. "I'm delighted I could as well! I have missed you!"

When they finally separated, Elizabeth turned to Will. "I see you two have already met," she grinned. Valerie and Will avoided eye contact, but nodded. "Wonderful! Come on Val, let me show you to your room." Valerie followed Elizabeth inside, ignoring Will completely. Will sighed and headed for his bedroom. It had been a long day for him and he was ready to be finished with it.

Will had just begun to fantasize about crawling into bed and relaxing when the doorbell rang. He rolled his eyes, wondering who on earth it could be now. Seeing no one around, he approached the door. Footsteps echoed behind him on the stairs.

"Who is it?" Elizabeth called, approaching Will with Valerie close behind.

"I'll see in a second!" Will replied. He approached the door and turned the handle.

In burst Captain Jack Sparrow.

"Hello, mate!" Jack smiled at Will. The aroma of rum began to seep inside the house.

"Jack!" Will shouted happily.

"Jack!" Elizabeth gasped.

"Elizabeth!" Jack grinned, throwing his arms into the air.

"Jack?!" Valerie exclaimed in disbelief.

"Val!" Jack grinned, then paused and squinted at the redhead. His grin disappeared. "Oh. Valerie. Not good."

"Valerie?" Will and Elizabeth looked quizzically at her as well.

"Shit," Valerie declared.

/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\

Vic: Well folks, this is it. Wrote it in one day instead of working on billing at work. How exciting!

Will: Holy crap. Seems like I've been asleep for forever.

Jack: Damn, you ain't kidding.

Elizabeth: It feels great to be back!

Vic: While our lovely characters recover, I shall begin working on the next chapter. Who knows what will happen? Ooooh, suspense.

Will: How does Val know Jack?

Vic: She's his mother.

All: What?!

Vic: chuckles Kidding. Wait and see! Until next time...


	6. Moonlight Serenade

Silence followed Valerie's foul outcry. Will was shooting Valerie confused looks. Elizabeth shifted her stare between Jack and Valerie. Valerie was rubbing her temples and avoiding their gazes. And Jack was fumbling curiously with his compass.

"So," Elizabeth finally declared. "You two know each other?"

Valerie nodded meekly, but offered no explanation.

"Care to elaborate?" Will asked. Valerie heard irritation in his voice, and felt a twinge of anger toward him.

"Ah, funny story, this is," Jack said, waving his hands. He paused and clenched his fingers several times, unsure of how to continue.

"Jack helped me when I was younger," Valerie interrupted. Jack nodded and offered them a big grin, but neither went on.

"Well, then," Elizabeth said, realizing that her friends did not want to discuss this further. "Shall I show you to your room, Val?" Valerie gratefully nodded and followed Elizabeth up the stairs, leaving Will staring at Jack.

"I need more than that, mate," Will declared. Jack simply shook his head. "Follow me, then. I'll show you to your room as well." Will lead Jack into a spare bedroom and flung open the door. "There, this should do. Goodnight." He turned and began to storm off.

"Wait," Jack said. "I'll tell you everything." Will stopped and turned to face Jack. They disappeared into the room and shut the door.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Want to talk about it?" Elizabeth gently asked her friend once they had shut the door to Valerie's room. Valerie sighed.

"As you know, my father passed when I was 12. My mother took care of me for 2 years after that and followed my father into the grave."

"I remember you telling me about that," Elizabeth nodded.

"I was alone in the world, just a child with no one to turn to. I took to the streets for a while and began working at a seaside tavern, cleaning and whatnot. One night, pirates raided my small town. They killed everyone in the bar. One of the pirates found me hiding behind one of the shelves in the store room and dragged me out to kill me too, but someone stopped him. Jack Sparrow was not a Captain yet at that time." Valerie paused as she choked on the pirate's name. Elizabeth put her hand on her shoulder to encourage her to go on. "Jack convinced his Captain to take me in as the ship's cook. Luckily my mother taught me well, and after a few trial meals, they accepted me and let me stay. I sailed everywhere with them, and they treated me well. Jack was my guardian and teacher, and he rarely let his sights off of me. I learned to fence and care for a ship."

"A few years passed, and I slowly realized that I was falling in love with Jack. I couldn't ask for anything in return, but I cared deeply for my savior and would have done anything for him. However, one night we stopped at Tortuga. Jack drank more rum than I've ever seen him consume. I always watched him when he drank, usually from the window outside the taverns, to ensure that nothing bad would happen to him. But that night, I couldn't watch as he seduced every woman he came across. I ran back to the ship and cried myself to sleep. He returned later that night and woke me as he stumbled around on the deck. I went to check on him, but he pushed me away. It was the only time Jack laid a finger on me. I began crying, and he told me I should grow up. I was 16 and naive, and my hero was pushing me around and yelling at me. My world crumbled that night. Throughout the turmoil, I declared that I loved him. He laughed at me and told me I was stupid to say that. I ran off the boat and never returned," Valerie concluded.

Elizabeth sat in silence for a few moments. Then she hugged Valerie. "My God, I had no idea."

"It's okay now." Valerie swallowed her desire to cry. "It was a long time ago. Water under the bridge, you know?"

"Jack's different now, Val," Elizabeth said. "I know that doesn't change anything, but…"

"Honestly, I'm okay. I'm not going to cause any problems for your wedding over this!" Valerie forced out a smile. "I'm sorry dear, but I'm exhausted."

"I'll let you get some rest, then." Elizabeth shot Valerie one last reassuring smile and left.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Geez, mate," Will said. "I had no idea you had it in you to be a father figure."

Jack chuckled. "It was a different time. I was young and naïve thinking I could raise a young lady."

"You saved her from the world, Jack. I'm sure she appreciates it, even if she's still angry with you. You had to have done something right for her to be what she is today."

Jack sighed. "I guess time will tell if she's forgiven me." A yawn escaped his lips. "I'm sorry mate, but do you mind? I've had a long journey."

"Of course, dear friend." Will smiled. "It's great to see you again."

Jack waited half an hour after Will left, praying that everyone had fallen asleep. He quietly snuck out of his room and made his way toward the balcony. He knew she would be there, and smiled to himself as he approached her from behind.

"Hello, darling," he whispered in her ear. Valerie shrieked. "I'm sorry to scare you," Jack grinned at her.

"What makes you think you can still call me that?" she growled.

"Ah, you're still holding on to that grudge?"

"Grudge?! Jack, you were my world. The only thing I _had_ in this world. And you turned your back on me."

"Rum does terrible things to a man, love. I can finally apologize to you." He took her hand into his. "I'm sorry."

Valerie melted. She had told herself she would never forgive him, but she lied. "I forgive you." It slipped out before she realized she had said it.

"I truly did miss you, pet. You were my responsibility, and I never stopped worrying about you. You turned out to be more beautiful than I remember." Jack ran his fingertips down her cheek and felt her shudder.

"I was a child, Jack. What makes you think I still care about you?" she choked out.

"Don't you?" His voice was husky.

Valerie looked into his eyes. They were still as playful as she remembered them to be. She had no reply for him except her heavy breathing.

"I'll take that as a yes," he whispered, and slowly leaned in to kiss her.

However, before his lips could find hers, she pulled back. "Jack, I will always love you. You know that. I'm grateful for all you've done for me. But I am not in love you with, and haven't been for years."

He pulled her back to him. "But I can finally give you what you yearned for when you were 16. Don't you want me right now?"

"No," she stated firmly. "No, Jack. It's not right. I care for someone else, and that consumes me more than anything else right now."

Jack felt his frustration growing. All he wanted was a woman in his bed tonight, when did he lose the ability to make that happen?

"Fine," he declared. "Then go."

Valerie angrily stormed back to her room. Jack grunted and turned to face the starlit sea.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Elizabeth tossed and turned in her bed. She couldn't stop thinking about Valerie and Jack's past together. She realized how little she really knew about Jack's life, but it didn't bother her as much as she thought it should. She still felt an overpowering desire for the man, and was convinced that she was in love with him as well. Finally deciding that she was unable to sleep, she threw off her covers, grabbed her robe, and decided to sneak to her private thinking place: the balcony.

'_I must be losing my mind,_' Elizabeth thought to herself. '_I can see Jack waiting for me on the balcony. I need to stop thinking about him so much._' It took her a couple of moments to realize that it wasn't her imagination, and that Jack was really standing on her balcony. He must have heard her robe rustle because he turned to investigate her presence.

"Well hello," Jack said, raising an eyebrow at Elizabeth.

"Hello," was all she could reply. She felt her face flush as she locked eyes with him.

"You're up late," Jack replied. They stood there awkwardly like schoolchildren forcing out a conversation.

"So are you." Silence.

Elizabeth broke first. "Oh Jack, it's so good to see you again," she breathed as she rushed forward and flung her arms around his neck. Jack embraced her tightly and buried his face in her hair.

"I've missed you, Elizabeth."

"I've missed you too." They held each other in the moonlight, neither one wanting to let go. Finally, Elizabeth pulled away just enough so that she could meet Jack's gaze. She raised her hands up to his face and gently placed them on his cheeks. Stroking them softly, she broke out into a smile. Jack's eyes twinkled as he smiled back at her, melting at her warm touch. They didn't need words. They chose to use their lips for something more intimate.

Jack wasn't sure who kissed whom first, nor did he care. All he knew was that the woman he loved was in his arms sharing a romantic kiss with him. They hungrily devoured each other as their worries melted away. Finally, Jack reluctantly pulled away.

"Liz," he began. She silenced him with another passionate kiss. "Elizabeth, stop."

She pulled back and stared at him. "Why?" she demanded.

"You're engaged, remember?" Jack said gingerly. He wanted her so badly, but his conscience was creeping up on him. '_What do you know, I have a conscience._'

Elizabeth sighed. "I know, Jack. I know."

"What are you going to do?" he asked quietly.

"What _can_ I do?!" she cried out. "I can't go around breaking Will's heart, not when he loves me this much. And I still care about him. Besides, what would my father say? I can't leave him for a pir…for you."

"For a pirate?" Jack laughed. "You can't leave a blacksmith for a pirate, now that's rich."

"You know what I mean, Jack!" She pulled away from him.

"You're not complete with him. He deserves to be set free if you don't love him anymore."

"I didn't say that! I love my fiancé."

Jack let out another chuckle. "But you're not _in_ love with him, poppet."

"And you think I'm in love with you?"

"Hush, darling. That's a technicality with me at this point." He reached out to touch her arm, but she pulled back. "Elizabeth…please."

"Please what? Break apart my life so I can be with you?"

"No. Forget everything. Let's just share this moment together while we can." He held out his arms and gave her the infamous Jack Sparrow eyes. She couldn't help giggling.

"Alright, Jack. Then hold me. This night is ours."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

Valerie was still fuming as she approached her room. '_Jack is an asshole,_' she thought to herself. '_Elizabeth is wrong, he hasn't changed._' She was reaching out for the handle to her room when she heard a quiet click.

"Who's there?" she asked the darkness.

"Will," a whisper replied. '_Will,_' she sighed. The man that made her turn down Jack Sparrow tonight.

"Go away," she whispered back and opened her door.

"Please, Valerie, wait." She paused. "I need to speak with you."

She thought for a moment. "Alright, but hurry up. I don't want anyone seeing us." They rushed into her room and shut the door. Valerie lit a lamp and sat down in a nearby chair. "Go on, then. What do you need to say to me?" She tried to be cold toward him, but it was growing to be a difficult task as she looked at the young man. '_Why does he have to be so handsome?_'

"I wanted to apologize to you," he began. '_Great,_' Valerie thought. '_This is turning into Apologize to Val Night._'

"For leading me on even though you're engaged?" she asked.

"I wouldn't put it like that."

"Oh? Why's that?" She felt her irritation come crawling back.

"I don't want to say that I lead you on. I had a wonderful time today. You are an amazing woman." Even though she didn't want to admit it, his sincerity was unmistakable. "Truly unlike anyone I've ever met before."

"What about your fiancé?" she scoffed. _'I must be a terrible person for wanting my friend's future husband…shame on me!'_

Will closed his eyes. "I must admit that you've really put me in a predicament as far as that situation is concerned. You've shown me a different side of caring for someone."

"How so?" She cocked her head at him. Once again, she reminded Will of Jack. Now he knew why.

"You're fun, outgoing, and beautiful. You make me nervous when I'm around you. You make me feel alive."

"And Elizabeth makes you feel…like a corpse?" She couldn't help grinning at what she had just said.

"I used to feel that way about her. I can't say that I do anymore."

"That's terrible. You're going to lead her into a loveless marriage?"

"If I marry her, I'll take care of her. There's no doubt about that."

"So why _are_ you marrying her then?" Valerie felt like her head would explode. Her emotions were overflowing and she didn't know what to think about all of this.

"I've been asking myself that for a few days now."

They were silent for a moment. Valerie wanted nothing more than to jump him, but decided it wouldn't be very ladylike of her to do so. Even though pirates raised her, she didn't always have to act like one. Not always.

Will looked at her. She drove him crazy, and he couldn't quite figure out why. One minute he was angry with her, and the next he wanted to kiss her. _'She's almost like Jack in female form.'_ The comparison annoyed him.

"It's getting late," she finally said.

"We should be getting to bed, then."

"Is that an offer?" Valerie bit her lip and turned red. '_Whoopsie, that wasn't supposed to be said aloud._'

Will raised his eyebrow, then laughed. "You're remarkable." His anger was gone, and he wanted to kiss her again.

"Sorry, didn't mean to let that slip out. You should probably go."

Will stood up, but didn't approach the door. He couldn't leave empty handed…

He walked over to her and took her hands into his. Valerie's heart raced as he pulled her to her feet.

"This is wrong," she whispered as his face neared hers, his eyes twinkling.

"But if feels so right," he replied amorously. Her hands were shaking. He smiled, realizing that no matter how tough she tried to act, she cared for him.

"You're terrible, William Turner. You should leave." She didn't sound one bit convincing.

"I know." He continued to pull her closer.

"Truly a monster." Her voice was losing its courage, and her knees felt like wet noodles.

"Mhmm."

"Simply horrible." She couldn't get past the first word. Will had sealed her lips closed. She didn't realize that she had wrapped her hands around his waist. Nor did she notice that the lamp had burned out. Will wasn't sure how he ended up on her bed. And neither of them knew how the clothes melted away. But both were well aware that this was the beginning of something special.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~

A/N: Wow, so I'm not sure how this turned out, to be honest. I planned it to be completely different, yet this came out. I realize there's a lot of Will/Valerie, and I apologize to the Jack/Elizabeth fans. I just felt like I had to establish some character background for her. And yes, I'm still shocked that I'm writing this after another 9 months of inactivity. But I would really like to finish this, even if it's only a few more chapters…so if anyone is still with me, I would really appreciate a review! Thanks guys. =)


	7. The Last Waltz

Chapter 7

A/N: Thanks for sticking with me those that are still here! I know this fic has stretched out over many, many years, but I'm absolutely in love with it again and plan on staying with it (as long as my writer's block stays far far away!) until I finish. Once I complete it, I plan to rewrite the first few chapters to reflect my current writing style. Without further ado, please enjoy the latest installment of A Twisted Fate. :)

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Elizabeth sighed and nuzzled Jack's neck, taking in every drop of his scent. They were cuddled on one of the many patio couches, and it was difficult to tell where one of them began and the other ended. Their legs were entwined and their fingers were laced together. But as wonderful as this was, Elizabeth couldn't help but wonder what time it was. The moon seemed to be fading, and although Jack's warm body was pressed against her, she couldn't control the shiver that escaped her.

Jack tightened his grip on her. "Bit nippy?" he mumbled.

Elizabeth nodded. "It's getting late. Or early." She yawned. "I'm not sure which is correct at this point."

Jack grinned. "I should let you get to bed. Dear William will ask questions tomorrow morning if you're exhausted."

Elizabeth groaned. The last thing she wanted to do was leave Jack's arms, but she knew this night wouldn't last forever, no matter how much she wished it would. Jack felt the same way and pressed his lips against hers one more time to convey that to her. She eagerly kissed him back as her body melted into his again.

Half an hour had passed before they reluctantly untangled their limbs and stood up. Elizabeth stole one last kiss before she bid Jack goodnight and slowly made her way to her own bed. He watched the darkness of the hallway devour her, and as she disappeared entirely from his sight, a wave of loneliness washed over him. He was suddenly consumed with a horrible ache of not being with her. It angered him. These feelings were new and confusing, and he wasn't sure he liked them.

"Love is worse than a keel hauling," Jack grumbled into the night as he began to stalk to his own room.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

A single ray of sunlight found its way around the heavy emerald drapes of Valerie's room and shone onto her face. She furrowed her eyebrows and turned her head to dodge the ray, but it wasn't long until it was joined by friends and sunlight began pouring into the room. Valerie moaned and slowly opened her eyes.

'_Is it morning already?'_

She gazed at the ceiling for a moment and tried to organize her fuzzy thoughts. Where was she again? The Governor's mansion, she remembered. For Elizabeth's wedding. Elizabeth was getting married? To William Turner. Why did that name sound so familiar and dear? She heard a noise beside her and jumped.

"Morning, Sunshine," Will whispered and kissed her bare shoulder. Oh, that's right. William Turner was in her bed. Christ, how could she forget?

"G'morning," she mumbled.

"Sleep well?"

"Yes," Valerie said. "When I did sleep," she added, grinning. It had been a good night.

Will chuckled and kissed her shoulder again, this time a bit higher and closer to her neck. A slight shiver escaped her as his morning stubble tickled her skin.

Will could not keep his hands off of her. He just wanted to hide out in the confines of their room with Valerie in his arms all day, but the reality of what had transpired was beginning to set in and he knew they would have to face it sooner or later.

"What are we going to do?" Valerie asked before he had the chance to.

"I have no idea." God, he felt stupid. Why couldn't he think of anything to say?

"We can't stay here all day. It is daytime already and you're still in my room. That might rouse suspicion when you take your leave."

"Are you kicking me out?" he asked, half joking.

"Reluctantly, I'm kicking both of us out." She gave him a slight nudge in the side as she kissed his cheek.

They dressed themselves in utter silence, though in their heads, their thoughts were rioting. Neither one wanted to discuss what was to come next, so Will gave Valerie a quick peck on the lips and slipped out of her room, undetected. Valerie threw her hair up in a ponytail and left moments later.

She ran into Elizabeth at the breakfast table in the dining room.

"Good morning!" Valerie exclaimed, attempting to mask the guilt that was beginning to tug at her conscience with a bit too much enthusiasm.

"Morning," Elizabeth replied. Valerie noticed her eyes looked darker than usual.

"Everything ok? You look exhausted!"

Elizabeth wondered if she should tell her friend everything that was going on in her mind. She wanted to relieve the pressure it was causing in her chest. She wanted to tell her that she loved Jack, and was doubting this whole marriage altogether. Instead, she replied, "Everything's fine. I just had trouble sleeping last night."

"Pre-wedding jitters!" Governor Swann was quick to exclaim as he sauntered into the room. "It'll pass dear, it's only natural to be nervous!"

"Who's nervous about what?" Jack asked, strolling in behind the governor. Elizabeth's father nodded his head toward her and chuckled. Will walked in moments later to complete the party. Governor Swann grabbed some toast from the table and floated back out of the room, leaving them in awkward silence. Valerie was afraid to look both Will and Elizabeth in fears that her face would reveal the events of last night, so she stared at Jack instead. Jack avoided her gaze and picked at his fingernails while Will and Elizabeth made eye contact for the first time in what seemed to be days.

Will's heart did not change pace. His stomach did not flip. He did not want to sweep Elizabeth up in a loving embrace. He was amazed to discover that he felt nothing. Elizabeth gave him a weak smile and he returned it with the same strength.

'_Poor Will,'_ Elizabeth thought. _'He doesn't even know that I'm about to break his heart.'_ She had decided to speak to Will about her feelings. She just wasn't sure how much she was going to disclose to him yet.

Abigail, the cook, entered with a fresh plate of poached eggs and breakfast sausages for each of them and they gratefully welcomed the interruption. They sat down and ate in silence, as no one wanted to share their thoughts with the rest of the group. The lack of conversation was agonizing to Elizabeth. She wasn't used to the silence amongst her friends.

"So, what are the plans for today?" Valerie finally asked.

"Father's throwing us a special dinner tonight," Elizabeth answered. Will cringed. He had completely forgotten about the engagement dinner.

"Oh how lovely!" Valerie exclaimed. She was looking forward to a social event that would take her mind off the complicated situation she had landed herself in.

"Smashing," Jack said mockingly. He hated social gatherings. It wasn't exactly the type of thing pirates partook in. "I think I'll pass."

"Please come, Jack," Elizabeth said softly. "It would mean the world to me."

Jack felt a tug at his heartstring. _'Damn it, how does she do that?'_

"Alright, I'll be there." The words were out of his mouth before he knew it. He mentally slapped himself.

Elizabeth beamed for the first time that day. "Excellent. You can go as Valerie's date!"

The facial expressions on Jack, Valerie, and Will's faces were identical. Jack was being dragged to a fancy dinner that would no doubt include dancing, and he couldn't think of a more dreadful way to spend the evening. Valerie was disgruntled about being volunteered to be Jack's date. She was still feeling rather cross with him. Will was overcome with jealousy that Jack's hands would be the ones to hold Valerie's waist as they waltzed that night and not his. Elizabeth seemed to be the only one with high hopes for that evening.

However, in her mind, Elizabeth was quite upset. She was indeed looking forward to dinner and dancing that night, but she wanted Jack to be her groom. She wanted to dance in his arms and to toast to their happy future. She began to fidget with her hands in her lap, trying to keep them occupied and away from the body she yearned to touch. Jack noticed her uneasiness and grinned to himself. He slowly moved his foot under the dining room table to find her leg. Elizabeth jumped lightly as she felt his boot run slowly up and down her calf. Jack's grin grew wider as he pushed his foot higher to touch the inside of her thigh. Elizabeth choked on the tea she had been drinking and Jack withdrew his boot, masking his chuckle with a bite of egg.

Valerie gave her friend a sideways glance. She knew something was amiss, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to investigate. This whole mess was overwhelming her, and she felt it begin to take its toll on her body. The beginnings of a migraine were upon her, so she excused herself from the table and retired to her room. She couldn't be fighting a migraine at the ball, so she collapsed on her bed and fell into a light slumber.

Will watched her recede up the stairs and fought the urge to follow her. He wanted to ensure her well being, but realized how odd it would look to the others, so he filled his mouth with tea instead.

_'This is going to be a long day,'_ Will concluded.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

That evening, the Governor's mansion was transformed into a palace of lights and glitter. Everything gleamed and sparkled. Guests slowly began to fill the ballroom and chatted as they waited for the guests of honor to appear.

Jack trudged bitterly down the hall toward Valerie's room to pick up his "date" for the ball. He stopped in front of the oak doors, took a deep breath, and knocked. Valerie opened the door after a few moments and emerged to greet him. Regardless of how he felt about the events of the previous night, Jack couldn't help but draw a sharp breath. She looked dazzling in her ruby red gown, which surprisingly, did not clash with her red hair but accented it instead. She wore it in light curls that fell gently around her face. The dress hugged the curves of her hips nicely before falling freely to the floor. Her green eyes shone with excitement and showed absolutely no resentment toward the man standing in front of her. It seemed that she had forgiven him for the spat they had. Jack let out a small sigh of relief. He had fully expected her to rip his head off and snack on it as she sauntered down to the ball.

"Hi!" Valerie exclaimed, her voice a bit higher than usual from the excitement. Her cheeks were flushed a rosy pink and her cherry-red lips curved upward in a mischievous smile.

Jack laughed. "Hi yourself, love. You look fantastic." He extended his arm to her.

"Thank you," she beamed, and wrapped her arm under his. They began their journey downstairs.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

Elizabeth paced in her room. Physically, she was more than ready to head down to the dinner. She had chosen to wear her golden dress, which flowed gracefully around her as she moved. She had dug up a pair of dangling gold earrings that had belonged to her mother and matched them with a pearl necklace that her father had gifted to her on her twenty-first birthday. Her hair was swept up into an elegant bun that allowed her curls to overflow and bounce when she walked. She looked stunning.

Emotionally, however, she was a complete wreck. She couldn't stop thinking about her evening with Jack. She couldn't remember the last time she had felt so serene and peaceful than when she was in his arms, and her heart yearned to be back in that safe place again. A sharp knock at her door pulled her out of her thoughts.

Elizabeth opened the door to find her fiancé standing before her. Will looked handsome, she thought to herself. However, there was no spark between them as he took her arm under his, nor were there any words of happiness exchanged as they made their way down to greet their guests. An aura of awkwardness surrounded them as they descended into the ballroom.

Jack and Valerie were already in the crowd. Valerie was mingling with several guests while Jack stood nearby and shuffled his feet. Valerie's vibrant personality was hard to miss, and her infectious laughter attracted its fair share of young gentlemen. Will spotted her as he made his way down the stairs and felt a pang of jealousy.

Elizabeth's eyes met with Jack's and a wave of sorrow swept over her. He gave her an intensely encouraging look and she could almost hear him say to her, "You can do this, love. Put your faith in me that everything will work out." She rewarded his glance with a smile and felt the tightness leave her chest.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The ball was a huge success. Guests were laughing and dancing joyfully, so no one noticed the anguish of one particular man who was showing the world a false smile and a brave face. Will Turner was not enjoying the evening in the least bit. He hardly listened to the guests as they individually congratulated his future wife and himself, and nodded dully as their words washed over him. Elizabeth had dragged him out to dance twice now, and he had followed her idly, keeping up with the notes of the music only to distract himself from his burning desire to seek out Valerie.

Valerie was having the time of her life. She had lost Jack in the crowd shortly after they had arrived and had been swept off her feet and onto the dance floor several times by the young men who were battling for her attention. She had decided that moping about the situation she had gotten herself into would result in a dull and miserable night, so she welcomed the new gentlemen into her life for the evening. She laughed as another suitor spun her.

Jack had concealed his presence rather well for the majority of the evening. He felt out of place at a function like this, mostly due to its lack of rum. He meandered out onto the balcony and stared at the evening sky as his thoughts consumed him. Jack's hiding place was eventually discovered.

"There you are mate," Will said as he slapped Jack heartily on the back. Jack turned and grinned at his friend.

"Found me, did you?" he chuckled.

"Can't say I blame you," Will said. "I'd hide here if I could as well."

Jack gave Will a quizzical look. "Not enjoying your engagement dinner?"

Will shrugged. "I suppose my heart's not as into this as it should be," he murmured.

Jack's eyebrows shot up into his cornered hat, but before he could inquire about the mysterious comment, they were interrupted.

"Found you!" Valerie exclaimed. She was out of breath and her face was flushed from dancing. "Come on, Jack, you're my date! You owe me a dance."

Jack groaned. "I don't dance, poppet."

"First time for everything!" Valerie laughed and pulled him toward the dance floor. As she dragged him along, she tossed her head back and shot Will a warm smile. "Next dance is mine!" she shouted as she disappeared into the crowd of dancers.

Will's heart jumped. Dancing with Valerie would turn this night around for him. A true smile lit up his face for the first time that evening, and he was so lost in thought that he didn't notice Elizabeth make her way toward him and into his arms. He shook himself out of his daydream and looked at the woman whose waist he was now holding: a woman who should have made him melt, but instead felt like a complete stranger to him.

Jack stood in front of Valerie like an awkward foal, unsure of how to act. She giggled to herself and put on hand on her waist and grasped his other into hers. They began to move to the rhythm and Jack quickly learned that Valerie was a fantastic dancer. She was quick and light on her feet, yet also a strong leader. They flew by the other couples and a few even stopped to watch them.

"Who knew the infamous Captain Jack Sparrow could dance?" she teased him.

"You're a good partner, love," he grinned. "Listen, about last night…"

"Don't mention it," Valerie interrupted. "I don't want us feuding. You're one of my oldest friends and I forgive you for everything." She gave him a merciful smile.

Jack's movements suddenly became even livelier.

The dance was swift and vivacious. Elizabeth and Will both focused on keeping up with the music and didn't try to remedy the silence between them. Elizabeth looked into Will's eyes and wondered why he was hardly speaking that evening. He looked distant and unfamiliar. His eyes weren't warm and friendly the way they usually were.

'_He can't possibly know what I'm going to talk to him about, can he?' _she wondered.

"Will," she started. Maybe now was the best time to talk this out.

"Hm?"

"Will, we need to talk about something…"

However, before she could say anything else, the song ended. Elizabeth was drowned out in applause as the dancers thanked the musicians. Will's focus shifted to a fiery redhead who was laughing and giving Jack an exaggerated curtsey. Jack couldn't help but laugh with her as he bowed.

"Can we talk on the balcony?" Elizabeth said as she tugged on his sleeve lightly.

"I'm afraid that will have to wait, Lizzie," Valerie replied. "I hate to inform you, but I'm borrowing your fiancé for a dance." She smiled.

"Be my guest!" Elizabeth stepped aside. Something caught the corner of her eye and she shifted her gaze sharply to investigate. Jack had vanished into the night once again. She turned swiftly on her heel and followed him.

The orchestral group began to play a slow and sad melody. Will gently placed his hands slightly above Valerie's hips and pulled her close. She responded with a passionate look and slipped her hand into Will's. Their fingers entwined and they began to waltz with the music.

_One, two, three. One, two, three._

"Val," Will breathed. She met his gaze and was astounded with the intensity in his eyes.

"William."

Something inside him stirred as his full name escaped her lips. How he longed to kiss those wonderful luscious lips. He pulled her closer and rested his cheek on the top of her head. Valerie closed her eyes blissfully and inhaled his irresistible scent. It tickled her nose and reminded her of a fresh autumn morning.

_One, two, three. One, two, three._

"I never want to let you go," he whispered. The world was fading and all that remained was the two of them, slowly gliding over the marble floor.

"Then don't."

Will obeyed and held her close. The sad tune of the waltz pierced his heart, but Valerie's warm touch comforted it.

_One, two, three. One, two, three._

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

"Jack?" Elizabeth said into the darkness. A figure emerged from the shadows.

"Miss Turner," Jack replied bitterly. "Tis an honor to be graced with your presence."

Her cheeks flushed. "Do not call me that, Mister Sparrow." Her voice was cold.

"Soon enough, the world will be calling you that. I was just testing it out."

"I'm going to speak with him tonight, Jack."

Jack froze. "What will you say? How much will you tell him?"

"I—don't know," she stuttered and looked down at her feet.

Jack felt sympathetic for her. This was by no means easy for him, but he could only imagine what Elizabeth was feeling. After all, this was an engagement for marriage, one of the most sacred bonds between man and woman. He cautiously approached her and took her hands into his.

"You and I can never be together in this world. You should marry Will. He can give you the life you deserve. I'm just a pirate."

"You're so much more than that, Jack." She looked up at him with her melancholy amber eyes.

"Oh? And what am I?"

"You're a Captain." She kissed him.

Jack had yet to understand how she made his inside melt the way she did. He held her softly and kissed her back. For once, he had no desire to bed the woman he was kissing as he usually did. He just wanted to hold her tenderly and savor every moment they were together. He wanted to spend the rest of his life slowly learning everything about her.

'_Is this what true love is?'_ he wondered.

"Elizabeth, we can't be together. You know that. You're a lady of high society. You don't belong with someone like me."

"Stop it, Jack." Why was he saying these things? Couldn't he understand?

"I love you." The words flowed from her lips easily, as if there had never been anything truer in the universe. They hit Jack forcefully. He had never heard that phrase uttered to him before.

"Sorry?" He felt foolish. He didn't know what else to say.

"I'm in love with you, you silly man," she whispered as she stroked his cheek.

He gaped at her. How could she love him? A life with him would mean constantly running away, plundering, and indulging in rum. He knew she could handle the rum, but was unsure of the rest.

"You don't mean it," he told her, hoping with his entire being that she did.

"Why can't you accept that?" She was growing frustrated with him. Why was he being so stubborn?

"You are trying to tell me that you want to live as my lass, choosing a ship over a mansion, a cot over your luxurious bed, tattered boots over…" He paused and waved wildly at her feet. "Well, over whatever those golden frilly things are."

"Yes. I do. That and everything else that being a pirate entails." Her voice reflected a hint of excitement.

Jack thought for a moment. He imagined what it would be like to sail with her by his side. His life of solitude had never steered him wrong, but he enjoyed the idea of having a partner in crime, especially one so lovely as Elizabeth.

He brushed a strand of hair from her cheek. "I want to kidnap you."

"Let's run away," she suggested. He was in love with the idea, but he had no ship.

"We need to get to Tortuga," Jack said.

"Let's leave tonight." She seemed eager to go. "Now, for all I care."

Never in his life had he met someone as magnificent as her. He scooped her up and kissed her passionately.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

The evening finally drew to a close. Guests thanked the host before they wandered off to their carriages.

Neither guest of honor could be found.

\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/

A/N: Soooo I hope it turned out alright. I personally enjoyed writing this chapter a bunch, so that's why it's super long. I promise to bring the character thoughts back into the end of the next one! I just feel a bit braindead from writing this for 4 days straight. Thanks for reading, and as always, please review! :)


End file.
